Dog-Friendly Scottish Highlands

Near Kyle of Lochalsh, the stunning village of Arnisdale nestles below Beinn Sgritheall (Munro), on the shores of Loch Hourn. It overlooks Knoydart peninsula and Sound of Sleat with the Isle of Skye Cuillin in the distance. Neighbouring Glenelg, 9 miles, has a shop, pub, restaurant, craft shop and Skye ferry (Apr - Oct). Amid idyllic mountainous scenery, ideal for a holiday escaping with wildlife (deer, porpoises, eagles, seals and otters), walking (including the Five Sisters of Kintail, South Cluanie ridge, Ladhar Bheinn), cycling, fishing, touring (Eilean Donan Castle, Pictish Brochs, 18th century Bernera Barracks, Plockton and Skye) or just savouring highland peace and tranquillity.

This holiday cottage, which was extensively refurbished in 2018, is situated in the rural village of Inchnadamph. Accessed via a rough track it is the perfect get away from it all location. Here you can truly escape, relax in the open plan living space complete with Netflix and Wi-Fi, or simply enjoy time with your loved ones in the garden. This area is part of the first Geopark in Scotland, with its dramatic land/seascapes, geology and history. Traligill Glen, which leads to the impressive entrances of the largest cave system in Scotland, is a short walk from the cottage. The area has much to offer for the outdoor enthusiast, including hill walking, with Stac Pollaidh, Canisp and Suilven all close by, and several lochs for trout fishing (permits available locally). Boats can be hired in Lochinver for sea angling. Knockan Crag, a National Nature Reserve, is also nearby. For bird watchers, Handa Island is a great day out, with hundreds of breeding seabirds, or spot mountain hares and otters. Shop 12 miles, pub and restaurant 200 yards.
Riverside Cottage can be booked together with Ghillies at Riverside (ref UK11018) to accommodate up to 6 guests.

A bright, renovated highland cottage, peacefully situated in the hills, high above Drumnadrochit, only 3½miles away. Beautifully secluded, with a lively burn bubbling past. Reached by 1½ miles of fairly steep tarred road then ¾of a mile of track through a birch wood. Fishing permits can be obtained locally. A perfect holiday retreat. Glen Affric and the west coast are well worth a visit, with Inverness only half an hour away. Shop and pub 3½ miles.

Situated only a mile from the village of Drumnadrochit and with wonderful views over Loch Ness, this charming, self contained holiday apartment is on the ground floor of Temple Pier House, an impressive listed building set above the road along the side of the loch. The house retains many original features including small paned windows. Perfect for couples who want a comfortable hideaway with a private hedged garden. Great for walkers, there are many tracks to explore from the doorstep including the Great Glen Way which passes close and continues all the way to Inverness. A boat trip on the loch is a must for a spot of ‘Nessie Hunting’. The charming village of Drumnadrochit has good restaurants, a small but well stocked grocery store, a post office and a bank that opens occasionally. The bright lights of the city of Inverness, 12 miles, offer a superb choice of restaurants, boutiques, museums, and beautiful riverside pathways, with the imposing Inverness Castle, now the city’s courthouse, the impressive St. Andrew’s cathedral and the award winning Eden Court Theatre. Centrally located, this makes an ideal base to access all of the magnificent Highlands. Skye, Fort William and the West Coast of Scotland are within a couple of hours’ drive and the road through Inverness goes onto the A9 and then north to Sutherland or south to Aviemore and further to Perthshire. Shop, pub and restaurant 1 mile.

Originally the village school that served a small rural community in north west Sutherland, The Old School House has been transformed into a delightful stone cottage surrounded by its own enclosed landscaped cottage gardens. The lounge runs the length of the cottage. With the original high ceilings, large windows and Victorian fireplace, this superb room has a warm, welcoming ambience and provides plenty of space for guests to sit and admire the view whilst enjoying a wee dram or two in front of the open fire. There is a large double bedroom with a super king sized bed, a twin room and a small third bedroom with bunk beds for two children. They are all attractively presented with colour co-ordinated soft furnishings. The gardens are a real delight, with a stone slab path leading up through the flower beds to a garden seat from which there are spectacular views across the bay to Handa Island and the Outer Isles. The mountains of Foinavon, Ben Stack and Arkle are also visible.

The immediate area is haven for outdoor enthusiasts and lovers of the great outdoors generally. Hill walking, climbing, canoeing, kayaking and sailing are all local activities. There is a thriving pony trekking centre in the nearby village of Sheigra, with rides amidst spectacular scenery. Fishing in the surrounding lochs and rivers as well as sea fishing is a popular pastime. The area is also a haven for wildlife, with seals and otters in the bay and numerous varieties of birds attracted to the region.

The beaches in this area are renowned. Sandwood Bay is particularly noted, with a wonderful walk across the machair to its secluded sweeping sands. The nearby beaches of Oldshoremore and Polin are also renowned for their unspoilt beauty. Kinlochbervie is the nearest main village. The most northerly port on the west coast of Scotland, this pretty village has an active working harbour and offers good local facilities, including a shop and post office, as well as a hotel with restaurant open all year to non-residents for meals.

A warm Highland welcome awaits you at Glen View of Enrick House. Enjoying a tranquil wooded setting, Glen View has been equipped and furnished to a very good standard to meet all your requirements. Nestling against the side of the hill and with an on-site herb garden, the house is only 4 miles from the lovely village of Drumnadrochit and Loch Ness, and makes the perfect base for exploring the many attractions and amenities along with the stunning beauty of this part of the Northern Highlands. You will also find Lock Miekle only a 5-minute walk from the cottage.
Drumnadrochit has a good selection of restaurants and bars, with Inverness, the Highland Capital, just 18 miles away, where you will find an extensive range of shops, restaurants, theatre, galleries and swimming pools, to name just a few of the amenities. On the edge of Drumnadrochit you will find Urquhart Castle, a very popular visitor attraction, or go to Jacobite Cruises where you can enjoy a boat trip on Loch Ness – a good monster spotting area! Slightly further afield, you can visit Culloden Battlefield, Cawdor and Brodie Castles, and Fort George, or meander along some of the beautiful Moray coastline beaches which have been named in the top twelve of the world’s most beautiful and unspoilt coastlines.
Take a trip along the Malt Whisky Trail – the only one of its kind in the world! To the west and within a short drive you will find the beautiful Glen Affric and Glen Strathfarrar, both Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty where you can walk and hill climb, or also enjoy some of the area’s finest mountain bike trails. Visit the beautiful Isle of Skye, and stop on the way to visit the much photographed Eilean Donan Castle. Travel south and visit Fort William where you can hike up Ben Nevis (the UK’s highest mountain), or take the ski lift up Aonach Mor for some skiing. From both locations you will have spectacular views across the area.
Amongst the many activities available in the locality, there are many golf courses within easy reach, mountain biking on numerous trails, hill climbing, walking with many forest trails on the doorstep, a variety of water sports on Loch Ness or the Moray coastline, and skiing and snowboarding in the Cairngorms or the Nevis range. For the less energetic, sit back, relax and enjoy the ever changing scenery. A trip to this area will always evoke happy memories.

Newly renovated in December 2022 to a luxury standard with a large kitchen boasting top end appliances, stunning new bathrooms with under floor heating, comfortable new bedrooms with lots of storage and an updated living/dining area with three huge sofas and coffee table, a snug with a desk, bean bags and games, and a large dining table with plenty of seating to suit everyone’s needs.
This stunning, detached, lodge property enjoys a peaceful and private location approximately a mile outside the forest village of Nethy Bridge, and makes the perfect base for exploring this lovely part of the northern Highlands. Sitting on the edge of the ancient Scottish Caledonian Forest, the lodge overlooks moorland and mountains with abundant wildlife which includes red squirrels, mountain hares, red and roe deer, and many species of song birds can often be heard in this secluded setting.
Mountain Bear Lodge is 12 miles from Aviemore which is situated in the heart of the Cairngorms National Park and at the head of the Speyside Way. The whole area boasts a super range of shops, restaurants and bars along with a wide range of outdoor activities including skiing and snowboarding, (Cairngorm Mountains are within an hour’s drive. Glencoe and Glenshee are around 2½ hours’ drive) There is also mountain and quad biking, climbing and hill walking with a variety of water sports available on Loch Insh, Loch Morlich and the River Spey. Take a trip on the Cairngorm Mountain Railway or visit the Cairngorm Reindeer Centre, the Highland Wildlife Park at nearby Kingussie, the Landmark Forest Adventure Park or the RSPB Reserve at nearby Loch Garten, which are all within easy reach of the lodge.
Visit the testing Spey Valley golf course and the Dalfaber Resort with its wonderful array of leisure activities, or a day trip to the Moray coastline peppered with little fishing villages and beautiful beaches. For the less energetic, sit back in the hot tub set in peaceful garden grounds, relax and unwind. There’s a farm shop, pub and restaurant within 1 mile.

Red Kite Lodge is a real delight, situated in the heart of the Sutherland hills on a working farm, approached via a well-maintained private track leading out to open countryside and the owner’s 50 hectares of croft land. This detached, solid wood lodge enjoying complete peace and seclusion, is presented to a very good standard throughout. The main living area is open plan with a welcoming wood burner and floor to ceiling patio doors to maximise the stunning views. The patio doors open onto raised decking, with a private hot tub and outdoor dining table and chairs. The bright, modern kitchen area is exceptionally well equipped, with plenty of space for dining. The bespoke, solid wood, raised dining table adds an interesting and attractive feature to the room. There are two beautifully presented kingsize bedrooms each with colour coordinated soft furnishings. This property is very accessible for wheelchair users, with a level entrance and modern bathroom with a claw-footed bath and accessible wet room walk-in shower.

This property is ideal for the ultimate ’get away from it all’ holiday, with pampering included. Sitting in the hot tub or relaxing with a glass of wine on the decking after a day’s sightseeing or hill walking must be the ultimate holiday experience.

The owners farm hundreds of acres of surrounding farmland and open hills where friendly cattle and sheep roam freely, and osprey, deer, pine martens, red kites, golden eagles and curlews can all be spotted in the vicinity. Whilst providing an element of privacy, the lodge is just over 1 mile to the pretty village of Rogart. It has a thriving village pub that serves meals, as well as a shop, post office and railway station.

It is ideally located for exploring the whole of the Highlands, with many places of interest within a short drive. Dunrobin Castle, seat of the Duke of Sutherland, with its gardens modelled on Versailles, is well worth a visit. Or experience salmon leaping up the famous Falls of Shin. Mountain biking, hill walking, fishing, and various water sports are all available locally. The historic seaside town of Dornoch is just 15 minutes’ drive away where there is a superb, award-winning, sandy beach, a renowned championship golf course as well as the 12th-century cathedral that dominates the central square. Beach 15 miles. Shop, pub and restaurant 1½ miles.

Am Bothan is a delightful, single-storey, detached cottage with veranda and seating enjoying stunning views across Loch Ewe to the mountains beyond. Nestled, but totally private within the gardens of the owner’s home, separated by a shared driveway, it is perfect for couples or a small family wishing to explore this totally unspoilt and truly awe-inspiring part of the Scottish Highlands.The immediate area is renowned for it’s sandy beaches and breathtaking scenery, wildlife abounds with otters, seals, feral goats, deer and a myriad of bird-life.
National Trust Scotland owned, Inverewe Botanical gardens are 3.5 miles away. Due to its temperate climate, which is warmed by the waters of the Gulf Stream, an exceptional and surprising variety of plants flourish here. The pretty village of Poolewe is 2¾ miles away and has two cafés, a food cart serving stone baked pizzas, village shop with post office, off license and supermarket, pub and municipal swimming pool. The surrounding area offers a wealth of activities including mountain biking, kayaking, hill walking, climbing and sea fishing. The Fisher Field Forest which you can trek to,has been listed as one of the last remaining truly wild places in the United Kingdom. Wild swimming can be had just minutes from the door in Naast cove which you can see from the cottage veranda. Boat trips can be booked from nearby Gairloch for sightings of porpoises, minke whales and other sea life. Also trips to the Shiant Isles renown for it’s bird life including sea eagles,puffins, guillemots and cormorants. There are numerous superb beaches close at hand. Further afield you can visit some of the small villages dotted along the coast or take a day trip to the beautiful Isle of Skye. Sandy Firemore beach 3 miles. Cove, looking out to the Atlantic Ocean with memorial, remembered for the Norwegian Convoy of the 2nd World War, is 5 miles away. The owners are both artists and offer one to one or small group drawing lessons at an additional cost. African drumming lessons can be arranged too. One certainly is not at a loss for inspiration at Am Bothan.

Set in open countryside, above the charming seaside village of Portmahomack, Sheaf Dale is a beautifully presented cottage with a private hot tub in the gardens and a rear gated parking area, ideal for trailers with canoes, bicycles or other equipment. This single-storey, terraced, whitewashed stone cottage is tucked away along a quiet lane on the owner’s working arable and sheep farm. It has been painstakingly restored and renovated throughout and provides a good standard of accommodation in a peaceful yet accessible location. The large, airy living room looks out across the fields, and there is a spacious, well-equipped kitchen/dining room, with plenty of room for up to six guests. The master bedroom features a super kingsize bed and a wall-mounted TV, and both the double bedroom and the bunk bedroom are superbly presented with colour-coordinated soft furnishings. Exposed stone walls and large canvases of the local area add to the property’s charm. There is a secluded lawned garden with a sandstone patio area that leads down to the feature hot tub, making this an ideal property for couples, honeymooners and families wishing to have a relaxing, pampering holiday.

The picturesque seaside village of Portmahomack is just 1 mile away, with its sweeping sandy beach and stunning mountain backdrop, it is a superb spot to walk, picnic, swim or kayak. There is a small harbour with a pier, ideal for a spot of crabbing or fishing. The village has a good selection of amenities, including a shop, pub and café, as well as a renowned seafood restaurant. A traditional links golf course, Tarbat Golf Club which is open to visitors, is just a short walk away and there are numerous other renowned golf courses in the area including Royal Dornoch and Tain Golf Course which looks across the Dornoch Firth to Dornoch. The region is renowned for its archaeological sites and at the nearby Tarbat Discovery Centre there is a fascinating display of Pict, Norse and Medieval artefacts. Within a 10-minute drive lies the Royal Burgh of Tain, established as a Royal Burgh in 1066, and the Tain Museum houses the famous original Tain Silver Collection. Predominantly built out of local sandstone, Tain is a charming historic town which offers an excellent selection of small shops, restaurants, cafés and pubs, as well as a wide variety of sporting and recreational facilities. Nearby places of interest include the whisky distillery centre, home of the famous Glenmorangie Distillery where you can take a tour and sample the single malt, the famous Falls of Shin, one of the few places to see salmon leaping close to hand, and the enchanting town of Dornoch, with its magnificent cathedral, sandy beach and championship golf course.

This lovely cottage is ideally located for exploring the whole of the Highland region. When you return at the end of the day, relax in the hot tub whilst you drink in the uninterrupted views across the countryside to the sea beyond. Beach 1 mile. Shop, pub and restaurant 1 mile.
Sheaf Dale can be booked together with The Paddock (UK5049) and Grieve’s Cottage (UK12250) to accommodate up to 15 guests.